


An Itsy Bitsy Spider

by vaultbug



Series: kirby [1]
Category: Kirby (Video Games)
Genre: (dedede voice) ive had enough of being possessed, Developing Friendships, Family Fluff, Gen, Re-Meetings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:07:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23165956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vaultbug/pseuds/vaultbug
Summary: Taranza spluttered, shrill. "Self-defense? I wasn't even going to attack you. I'm not here to kidnap you, possess you, none of that stuff!"Fat chance. Dedede puffed his cheeks. “I ain’t fallin’ for this goodie-two-shoes nonsense just because Kirby did a lil’ dance and invited you to his party.”Taranza’s face now went beet red. “Kirby is a good friend,” the spider insisted. "Beside the point. I'm here to apologize."
Relationships: King Dedede & Taranza
Series: kirby [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677769
Comments: 1
Kudos: 72





	An Itsy Bitsy Spider

The doorbell rang late in the night. 

Around 12am, to be exact. The rap of it ripped through the main hallway and down to where he stood at his throne, just about to retire to his chambers. King Dedede paused and stared at the door, willing the sound to go away. Of course it did not and the rap came louder, sharp echoes against his concrete walls. Great. He rose with his tea and stared one more time. Maybe if he waited they would go away.

The doorbell rapped once more.

Darn. It was worth a shot.

Now it wasn’t formal custom for a King to answer their own door. Hell, his dad would probably throw a fit knowing his son had cracked open the door without the help of a Waddle Dee or royal retainer. But it also wasn’t formal custom for a King to be up at the ungodly hours of the night with a cup of tea or neither was it formal custom for the doorbell to go off at this time so Dedede decided, _oh, whatever_ and set his tea down to go unlock it. With great hesitation, he pried open the lock and pulled the door back.

Taranza stared back at him. “Hi,” he greeted loudly.

He shut the door. _What,_ he thought. Then he opened it a tiny crack, just to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating from a sugar overdose. The spider stared back, fingers clasped together. 

Ok. Alright. This was happening.

He opened the door.

“Hi,” Taranza greeted again, though this time it was more subdued and his eyes were a little hurt. He was soaking wet, rain dripping down his bangs and as Dedede watched, one of his hands rose to the back of his head. “Uh, is this a bad time?”

King Dedede glanced down at the spider. He then reached to the side of the door where his emergency hammer was propped (he was starting to need those a _lot_ ) and opened the door all the way. Then in one fluid motion he snatched the hammer and swung forward. Damn spider saw his intention though before he was able to crush the bug flat and leapt back, a yelp caught between his teeth. His hammer cracked the ground uselessly. “Wait wait _wait!”_ The bug hollered and a silk strand emerged from his hand and glued the hammer to the ground. “Look, I’m not here to fight -- or anything else, I swear --”

“I remember quite clearly you saying those exact same words _last time_ ,” Dedede spat. He yanked the hammer up and swung; though the bug dashed back out of reach, hands still over his head. “Came right here and bowed, right before you strung me up. You think I’m going to fall for that a second time?”

Taranza flushed and ducked under another swipe of his hammer. “That was -- different,” the bug flubbed.

“It is literally storming right now, lightning everywhere. I know how this goes. You wait for dramatic weather, you make sure I send my knights away, you wait for a full moon -- just so it looks perfect when you do your kidnapping scheme.” King Dedede snorted. “I bet if I hadn’t answered the door you would’ve blasted the roof in on my castle.”

“No?!"

"You did it last time."

Taranza made a noise that sounded like a deflating Scarfy. Stopping in anger the bug pointed at him violently. “I’m not here to -- !”

The sentence was interrupted because Dedede was a jerk and because of that, not a fair fighter. In pausing in his anger Taranza had left himself completely open, so it was easy to crank up his hammer and slap the hilt into the bug's chest. At contact Taranza gasped, swayed, then sat down as if King Dedede had only taken him by the shoulder and pushed him onto the steps. He did not move for a moment.

King Dedede blinked. Then he prodded the bug with his hammer's hilt. "Did I kill you," he asked the limp body.

There was no movement. Surprising. Dedede hadn't put any weight behind that swing. Oh well. Perhaps the Waddle Dees knew how to hide bodies if Taranza was dead. "Hm," he hummed. "Come on, you're not that fragile. Get it together. Hup to."

There was a shaky inhale. Taranza made a motion with his twin top hands that looked vaguely like insults. Then, he breathed out a shaky gasp and swore. " _Ow,_ " the bug finally hissed as King Dedede watched him gasp. " _Ow_ \-- what the _hell --_ "

"Language."

"You _hit me_ ," Taranza spat back. One of his hands was caressing the most likely broken part of his carapace. "What was that for?!"

He propped the hammer up and leaned on it. This time, Taranza flinched and he had to resist the chuckle that swelled in his throat. "Self-defense," he lied. "I ought to get Escargoon to put a restraining order on you people." Like Dark Matter. Although he wasn't too sure where he stood with that blob. After a few chance meetings and a couple very uncomfortable trips together he'd come to realize the matter wasn't too much a stick in the mud, even if he was a little dramatic. Still didn't remove the memories of goop curling inside his skin though. 

Taranza spluttered, shrill. "Self-defense? I wasn't even going to attack you. I'm not here to kidnap you, possess you, none of that stuff!" 

_Fat chance._ Dedede puffed his cheeks. “I ain’t fallin’ for this goodie-two-shoes nonsense just because Kirby did a lil’ dance and invited you to his party.”

Taranza’s face now went beet red. “Kirby is a good friend,” the spider insisted. "Beside the point. I'm here to _apologize._ "

King Dedede blinked. Then he leaned in. Taranza shifted uncomfortably under his stare for a few moments as he analyzed the spider. “Who are you and what have you done with the bastard,” he remarked finally.

“Ha ha.” Taranza wheezed. “Are you going to beat me to death still?”

He was tempted. The memories of string wrapped around his wrists, inside and through was still so very vivid. Taranza had been cruel when possessing him, and not like Dark Matter. It was worse only because Dark Matter’s corruption had the illusion of control -- every movement he had taken under that sickly influence was fuelled by twisted hatred, as if Dark Matter was just giving him a purpose, guiding his hands and rage. Taranza did not give him such luxuries. The puppet master had strung him up and rendered him lucid, aware of the magic but unable to do nothing. He did not remember what the fight against Kirby had been like, but he had felt every blow rendered into his body, strings jerking back and forth in his nerves like little parasites. 

Hate was a word he seldom used in seriousness. It was easy to say he _hated_ Kirby, because the puffball knew he never meant it. Just as it was easy to say he hated Meta Knight and hated when his Waddle Dees disobeyed orders. Thus, hate wasn’t the word he’d use when describing the experience of Floralia. No. Too weak a word against his floating memories of emptiness and pain. 

He _loathed_ those strings.

“Depends.” He snorted. He meant it. “What’s the apology about?”

Taranza floated up weakly. It was obvious the hilt had taken something out of him; King Dedede would’ve felt a little bit of guilt had the spider not dragged him through eight worlds of hell semi-conscious. “It’s about, you know.” The spider started.

“No, I don’t know,” he deadpanned and leaned back against his hammer. “Indulge me.”

Taranza blushed so hard it almost was visible around his horns. “You know? The,” and all six hands gestured to the left where the Dreamstalk still towered. “When Kirby saved my Kingdom. When I -- I wronged you.”

“Oh, that time. You mean when you kidnapped me, made me your personal hostage, wired me so full of magic I was barely conscious, then had me attack an actual child?” Dedede hummed. “Geez, yeah I remember now. It brings back so many good memories.” 

Taranza shut up. Then he slumped down and Dedede actually felt sorry for the guy. Thumbing his hammer he watched him from the corner of his eyes and when it became apparent the guy was approximately seven seconds away from crying, he sighed. “You’re serious, I know,” he snapped and Taranza looked back up, eyes practically wobbling in effort to keep emotion in. “Go on. You gave me two sentences. Basically hogwash if you’re trying to apologize.”

“Yeah, I’m just.” Taranza swiped at his eyes. Here came the waterworks. Oh boy. His next sentence broke off. “I just -- lost my words.”

Quiet. King Dedede gazed out into the rain. He was getting soaking wet, he noticed. His robe was slick and his hat probably was limp on his head. Water dripped from his hammer onto the ground, making small splashes alongside Taranza’s dripping cloak. As he watched, water began to drip and splash onto the ground from the bug’s face too.

It was odd to listen to the bug cry. He’d heard people crying before -- oh, yeah sure, tyrant of Dreamland was bound to hear a few people lose themselves in anguish over his rules but he had never been close enough to see a grown bug cry. Honestly, he had expected more dramatics. Taranza was motionless besides curling in on himself and outside the occasional shake, he did not make a sound. That was more uncomfortable than any of the overdone wailing he had expected.

Dedede was no good at this emotion stuff. It was hell enough when Kirby started crying but now a grown-spider diplomat who probably sucked other bugs dry for nutrition was _crying_ on his doorstep and he had no idea how to comfort him. He grasped at wisdom passed onto him from others, thought of what his Knight always did when Kirby hurt themselves. Think, Dedede. W.W.M.D -- What would Meta Do? 

(he thought of the knight’s hand on Kirby’s head, of soft words. _Good work,_ the knight said. Unaware Dedede was listening.)

He thought long and hard, harder than he had for many years. Eventually he thought: a question would distract Taranza. But what question could he ask? _Why did you attack me? Why did you want Dreamland? What was the purpose?_

Without meaning to, he spoke. “Who was your Queen?” He asked absentmindedly.

Taranza froze. _Oh, great going moron_ , Dedede thought and half-expected to be shot in the side by silk, wrapped up and left to drown in the puddles forming on his castle’s grounds. Except the spider now sniffled and as Dedede awaited death, he looked to the Dreamstalk in the distance. One hand twitched. “You really didn’t know?” The spider questioned back.

It was spoken like someone whose world started and ended with the Queen. King Dedede chose his words carefully. “We didn’t know Floralia existed.”

Taranza’s eyes wavered before looking away. “Well, she was lovelier before,” he admitted and the longing was apparent in his voice. “Wonderful ruler. We were close friends, worked wonderfully together. It was... _nice_ , for that time.”

 _Nice_ seemed a little too generalized for Dedede’s liking but he said nothing. Listening to the spider he’d come to recognize that there were parts being censored here, things Taranza didn’t want him to hear. That was okay. He had an inkling the spider felt closer than friends for his Queen.

This would be a good time to walk away though. King Dedede did not move. “And?”

“She was so beautiful before. Always wanted a way to protect our people. But then. There was a _mirror_ I gave her, I meant it as a gift, perhaps -- to court, perhaps as friends,” Taranza said. He wasn’t even answering Dedede’s questions anymore, hands trembling. Dedede resigned himself to being a therapist. “She never always looked like -- _that_. The mirror...well, it did something.”

“Mmm. Dimensional Mirror?”

Taranza turned on him. “You know of the mirror?” He gawked in disbelief.

“Yes.” He brought up his hammer and Taranza flinched away; but he only hefted it on his shoulders and turned. “Dimensional mirrors. Of course. Nasty bit of business. My Knight had a run-in with one way back. If your Queen looked into it, chances were,” and he clicked his tongue. “She wouldn’t be the same.”

It was like something broke loose with the spider. Taranza leapt up and seized the front of his bathrobe, gloves squeezing water from its fur violently. “You knew of it?” He yelped again.

“...Yes,” Dedede said.

Taranza let go of his coat as if burned. Now Dedede expected the fight to happen except it  _ didn’t,  _ and now he was stuck here watching as tears bubbled to the corners of Taranza’s eyes. “I  _ didn’t know _ ,” the bug practically growled and wiped his eyes furiously. 

It would be socially unacceptable if he left now. King Dedede longed for the door only two feet away. He should’ve just ignored the doorbell. “Don’t blame yourself,” he tried to reassure the bug. It was terrible so he shut up. 

Taranza must’ve seen his darting eyes for the door because he gave a weak laugh and wiped his eyes again. “I’m not apologizing, am I?” 

“Nope.”

“Sorry,” the spider muttered.

“Nah, it’s fine.” It wasn’t really, but Dedede couldn’t really do much and he’d be lying to say this entire conversation hadn’t brought him to pity the poor lad. “So. You going to apologize so I can go inside?”

Taranza winced. Then the bug wrung his hands. “I had a speech prepared, you know,” the spider admitted. "I could still say it, if you don't believe me."

“Oh,  _ absolutely  _ not," he scoffed and finally impatience caved in his stubbornness. “Oh forget it. Get in already. I'm going to catch a cold and it'll be  _ your  _ fault. Then I'll kill you."

Taranza began to smile.

_ Oh bother,  _ King Dedede thought but he found a smile on his face too.

**Author's Note:**

> i love you taranza


End file.
